yes, chinese people do require government nanny to censor them, in america, we do all the self-censoring on our own, i wonder how many "important, hard hitting" articles donohue or berdik has had to bury on page Q6 of their publications at the behest of some fascist editor or at the behest of readership. newsflash, western media isn't anymore "objective" than another type of media. knowledge is power. information is the currency of knowledge. the corporations that own news outlets enjoy the power controlling news gives them. the writers, the tiny little well oiled cogs do as their told, report on what is likely to increase readership. perhaps not since the "good ol' days" of woody and berny and watergate, have journalist ever been accountable to anyone/thing other than a) the bottom line b) misplaced self righteousness [which invariably increases readership because doesn't love living vicariously through the well spoken, self-righteous] as the comments reveal, cultural superiority manages to taint all concepts of the truth and -as if there weren't enough problems with this notion of objectivity to begin with- the news is meant to be understood by sixth graders, which invariably means the level of public discourse never aspires to be anything better than middle school drivel. good job america. good news sells, and fear sells. the truth is boring. the victors write history, the losers are war criminals. today's freedom fighter is tomorrow's terrorist, journalists weild the pen, which is mightier than the sword, yet none of them are rigorous vanguards of "truth"- the power to mold public opinion should be given to the public, not a few mere mortals. bloggers of the world unite.